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Health in the News
More Reason To Dread Mondays
Recent studies show Mondays to be the deadliest day of the week
Lehigh Valley, Pa. (April, 2006) – Some say Monday’s are the worst day of the week. After trying to shake off the stress and anxiety of another week over the weekend, it all comes bounding back on Monday. And now scientists from the European Journal of Epidemiology are lending new credence to the theory that Mondays truly are the worst day of the week. They found that deaths from heart attacks happen most frequently on Mondays.
They reported a significant drop of heart attack deaths on Tuesdays, and the fewest amount over the weekend. According to the journal, the risk is said to be about 20 percent greater on Mondays for adult men and 15 percent greater for adult women.
“Conceptually, people are under more stress on Mondays,” says Michael Rossi, M.D., cardiologist and medical director of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Networks (LVHHN) Regional Heart Center. “If your stress hormones are up, your blood pressure goes up and you have this stress and anxiety from your job, Mondays can be a death knell for you.”
As Rossi points out, this is not a good excuse to play hooky from work every Monday. “You should still go, because ultimately, missing work regularly could cause even more stress and even more anxiety about going back.
“If you really want to reduce your risk of a heart attack, lower your blood pressure, stop smoking, exercise more and probably most important is to be happy in your job and life. Everyone should have the attitude that the glass is half full, not half empty.”
Other studies also have found that heavier drinking on the weekend also could be to blame for the jump in heart attack deaths on Mondays. Retiree’s, who usually do not have to worry about stress from work, also statistically show that they too have more heart attacks on Mondays. This page last updated 2/19/08 09:40 PM
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